Investigate of electrical conductivity and mechanical behavior of nano carbon added sialon ceramic materials derived from metal organic framework (MOF)

SiAlONs are a promising class of advanced materials with multifaceted applications owing to their remarkable combination of mechanical strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance. Despite these superior features, their electrical conductivity has remained a challenge, limiting their potential applications in various fields. To overcome these limitations, researchers have explored innovative strategies to enhance the electrical properties of SiAlONs. One of the promising practices is the incorporation of MOFs. MOFs are porous materials known for their exceptional surface area, making them promising candidates for a wide range of applications. To our best knowledge, there is no reported study on ZIF-8 incorporated α/-SiAlON matrix ceramic composites. Therefore, the effect of zeolitic imidazolate framework addition on the properties of α/-SiAlON composites were investigated in this thesis. In this scope, samples with varying proportions of ZIF-8 (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% by weight) were prepared by in-situ synthesis within the α/β-SiAlON precursor powder. These samples were then sintered using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at 1650°C for 10 minutes under 50 MPa pressure. Subsequently, the mechanical, microstructural, and electrical properties of the samples were examined. The results indicate that α/β-SiAlON composites containing 10% and 20% by weight of ZIF-8 exhibit approximately 1010 times decrease in electrical resistance while maintaining their mechanical properties. These findings represent the first reported study demonstrating that the electrical properties of α/β-SiAlON ceramics can be enhanced by the addition of ZIF-8.